Five of a kind: Laksa

Killiney Kopitiam's Singapore laksa is sprinkled with laksa leaf.

Lauren Wambach

Singapore laksa

THIS laksa from the Lion City favours pungent prawn paste over the sweeter curry notes of Malaysian versions. Coconut milk is added with a careful hand to make a broth that's creamy but not cloying. It's loaded with hard-boiled eggs, tofu, fish cake, fried shallots … and an emerald sprinkle of laksa leaf provides a fragrant lift. While the noodles are a Malay-style hokkien and rice vermicelli-mix rather than authentic thicker rice noodles, it's still a worthy standard bearer for Singapore. Try the Singaporean breakfast of champions, too - soft-boiled eggs and thick, white toast with house-made coconut jam, and one of the different kopi (coffee) permutations.

Chef Lagenda's seafood curry laksa.

Seafood curry laksa

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AS THE saying goes, you are the company you keep. With noble neighbour Laksa King next door, Chef Lagenda has a high benchmark to meet but its Malaysian curry laksas really hold their own. The seafood laksa conceals many treats in its creamy orange depths, such as generous chunks of fresh rockling, tender scallops and butterflied prawns with gently ruffled edges. The broth is supremely silky in texture, the rich coconut flavour balanced with just the right amount of spicy tingle. There's the classic tussle of hokkien and rice vermicelli noodles, and make sure you go fishing for the sliver of juicy fried eggplant in each bowl. Good until the last drop.

Kitchen Inn's Sarawak laksa is the colour of a good latte.

Sarawak laksa

SPICY, sweet and almost smoky - imagine a gingerbread cookie and you're halfway there. Kitchen Inn serves an unusual and delicious laksa from Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. The soup is the colour of a good latte, spiked with just enough coconut milk to keep things smooth and rich. The paste, rich in tamarind and dried prawn, imbues the broth with tantalising tang and punch. Traditional toppings include crispy pork belly, coriander, fresh prawns and delicate ribbons of omelet, while underneath is a generous helping of rice vermicelli. Kitchen Inn also specialises in hand-made noodles - try the Kuching classic kolo mee, house-made egg noodles with barbecue pork and a sweet minced pork sauce.

Curry laksa from Monk & Me.

Kitchen Inn, 469 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, 9328 2562; $10.90.

Curry laksa

Little Nonya's Assam laksa.

MONK & Me was founded by Simon Goh, father of the much-loved Chinta Ria restaurants, and his legacy guarantees this curry laksa's pedigree. It's a sensible-size bowl of soothing yet zippy soup that caresses a languid tangle of soft hokkien and rice vermicelli noodles. Surfing on top is poached chicken, fish cake and fried tofu, its honeycomb-like chambers soaking up the spicy, coconut-rich broth. Just-cooked green beans add a modern touch and pleasing fresh crunch. Monk & Me's moniker is inspired by a person's spiritual journey. Indeed, with a range of meals for under 12s (think hokkien noodles with dark soy or Malaysian-style chicken noodle soup, plus ice-cream sundae), harried parents will find serenity here.

Assam laksa

LAKSA without coconut milk? Assam laksa has an aromatic broth not dissimilar to Thai tom yum and is a lighter, refreshing alternative to creamy coconut laksas. Little Nyonya lovingly craft their own Assam laksa paste from fresh galangal root, shallots and sour tamarind to create a tangy, tongue-tingling soup. Whole trevally is cooked in the stock and flaked, while fresh pineapple, red onion and cucumber slivers on top add summery freshness and zing. Traditional, pleasantly toothsome thick rice noodles complete the picture. On the side is a tiny dish of devilishly dark, authentically pongy fermented prawn sauce for drizzling on top - one for only the most intrepid eaters.

30 comments

This article would have been quicker and easier to read if it just said "King prawn laksa from Laksa King in Newmarket".

10/10!

Commenter

Patrick

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

January 14, 2013, 11:11AM

Australia's best curry and Sarawak laksas are (and have been for about 30 years) at the Asian Gourmet at the Adelaide Central Market. Daylight second.

Commenter

Andrew

Location

Date and time

January 14, 2013, 11:31AM

Totally agree, Melbourne and other cities didn't even know what a Laksa was until recently.When in Adelaide have a Laksa at the market. Have hardly changed over the years, excellent.

Commenter

Oz gal

Location

Date and time

January 14, 2013, 2:07PM

The best Laksa by a long way is Terry Durak's Laksa Lemak as made by me (with a few deviations). The recipe is in his 'Yum' book and well worth spending the afternoon making. Must make own chicken stock of course - none of this bought stuff! Yummo!!! Next time I'm in Adelaide, will be sure to try an SA Laksa.

Commenter

Rubicon

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

January 14, 2013, 4:09PM

Sorry guys but Amy Chin was knocking out Laksa's from heaven at the Rendezvous in Darwin when I was still wearing short pants (and I'm 60 now). Sadly she is no longer there but the RV Laksa is still a popular item in a city where they are just about a staple item on any menu.

Commenter

Chas

Location

Darwin

Date and time

January 14, 2013, 4:26PM

Malaymas on St Georges Rd - having being making the best malaysian Curry Laksa for years and are still tops! Yum!

Commenter

perfect!

Location

Date and time

January 14, 2013, 11:43AM

Yes indeed. The best Laksas. I only recently went back after a few years and they are still magnificent.

Even my wife, who usually isn't such a fan, loved them. As did the friend that accompanied us.

Commenter

Ross

Location

Preston

Date and time

January 14, 2013, 1:17PM

I loved Laksa in Australia and when I moved to Malaysia to start a job I was excited to try the huge varieties of Laksa. They are all very different depending upon state or region but I decided that the Australian ones have a dominant cocounut milk and fresh prawn flavour. The real Laksas in Malaysia are so pungent and so fishy I thought I would throw up. Now, I try and make my own here and strangely enough, to Australian taste.

Commenter

Gordie

Location

Expat in KL

Date and time

January 14, 2013, 11:57AM

Malaysian Laksa pungent and fishy? As mentioned in this article there's curry laksa (with coconut milk) and then there's assam laksa (sour fish stock). Did you only order assam in Malaysia?

Commenter

Banana

Location

Australia

Date and time

January 14, 2013, 12:50PM

@ BananaThere is fish based stock and then there is so pungent it tastes like concentrated fish guts and yes even the Penang Assam Laksa is like this unless they make it for the Mat Saleh (westerner style)